Some have called it the “twerk heard ’round the world,” but I knew nothing of Miley Cyrus booty poppin’ until days after the last time her poultry-looking cheeks clapped together. No, I was in the Salento region of Italy, listening to the sound of the fluorescent blue sea lapping against the limestone beneath me! I’d traveled to Puglia, the heel of Italy’s boot, after having been recommended it by my friend Armando, who hosted me during my three days in Rome, as an alternative to Sicily, where I desperately wanted to visit but whose poor infrastructure makes renting a car (something I never do while abroad) a necessity. Below is a shot of Otranto, a special place worth exploring.
The good news, I discovered upon arriving in Lecce, the largest city in Puglia, is that the Salento region is connected by its very own bus line. The bad news? As with many things in Italy, it’s questionably organized, frequently disrupted and, at times a bit sketchy.
(The “Salento in Bus” website, as you’ll see if you attempt to click it, is still “Under Construction,” more than a year after the service officially launched!)
But of course, as is also the case with most things Italian, Salento is too beautiful, breathtaking and delicious to worry about logistical minutiae, as infuriating as they can be at times.
Otranto
My first stop in Salento was the town of Otranto, an ancient port on the peninsula’s rocky east coast, whose having been built out of the white limestone that comprises its cliffs gives it a decidedly Greek feel. Ancient Otranto’s highlights include a castle and a cathedral, but the real treasure here is the beaches.
Specifically, walking north of the town center just 15 minutes, you’ll arrive at a series of furores, (Mediterranean fjords), which become practically deserted by the time you reach the third or fourth one, providing a perfect opportunity for a relaxing swim – or, if you’re like me, a shameless selfie session!
There are many buses from Lecce to Otranto, but the one that’s most direct is route 106, which has just one additional stop, in the central Salento town of Maglie.
Santa Maria di Leuca
I had a terrible feeling, after waiting for the 7:40 a.m. bus from Otranto to Santa Maria di Leuca, at the bottom tip of Salento, that it wasn’t going to come at all by the time I realized it was 10 past 8. This was especially true since I was waiting at a secondary bus stop (via Alimini), one the driver of the bus from Lecce to Otranto the previous night had sassed me for asking him to stop at.
To be sure, after I boarded the 11:30 bus at Otranto’s main bus stop (Porto), the driver of the Route 105 didn’t so much as bother to check the other stop, Via Alimini, to see if additional travelers were waiting – this is sad, and not just because it was an assholish move.
The short drive from Otranto to Leuca, to which the town’s name is often shortened, was worth the price of admission alone, passing through the ancient town of Santa Cesaerea and over some breathtaking high cliffs. Leuca itself it pretty cool too, with my favorite part being a Roman-looking bridge you can walk underneath and take a swim, albeit one that is admittedly a bit death-defying, on account of all the rocks!
Gallipoli
I only had a couple days to spend in Salento in total, and while I would’ve loved to spend a week swimming in Leuca, one more stop awaited me: Gallipoli, on the peninsula’s sandy west coast. Although I’m glad I taken the bus from Leuca to Gallipoli (route 108, which takes just over an hour) I have to say it was my least favorite of the three places I saw in Salento.
This is not to say it’s terrible. A walled ancient town set out in the sea, and accessible only by a bridge, it’s definitely picturesque and special, and like many of the other towns in Salento gives off a slightly Greek vibe.
But Gallipoli is without a doubt the most touristy out of itself, Otranto and Leuca, so if you have a choice between visiting Otranto, Gallipoli and Leuca, I would choose Otranto or Leuca – or preferably both, if you have time!
Robert Schrader is a travel writer and photographer who’s been roaming the world independently since 2005, writing for publications such as “CNNGo” and “Shanghaiist” along the way. His blog, Leave Your Daily Hell, provides a mix of travel advice, destination guides and personal essays covering the more esoteric aspects of life as a traveler.
